Mom, son buried in one casket

A PREGNANT mother and her newborn baby boy, who both died at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) hours apart, were buried yesterday in a single casket. Doctors believe the life of Nicole Jones, 30, of Gasparillo, and her baby, could have been saved if the hospital’s blood bank had her blood type. When Jones died on Ward 13B last Thursday, doctors made a frantic bid to save her eight-month-old baby by performing a Caesarian section on the dead woman, but the baby died on Friday morning from suspected brain damage.

During a press briefing at his private office yesterday, head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the SFGH, Dr Jehan Ali, said a histology will be conducted to determine what caused Jones to experience sudden chest pains. A post-mortem on Jones’ body did not state any specific cause of death. An employee at Puff ‘n’ Stuff, Jones was due to deliver her baby at SFGH on November 5. However, she had a bout of highblood pressure last week Thursday and was admitted to the hospital’s maternity ward. Around 6.30 pm, she complained of chest pains. Her sister, Tasha Forbes, told Newsday that by the time doctors responded, Jones was dead, but her baby was still alive when doctors felt for a heartbeat.

Ali confirmed that the dead woman was wheeled into the Operating Theatre where doctors performed a Caesarian section, removing a living baby from the dead woman’s womb. However, Ali told Newsday yesterday that  such a baby would likely be born with serious brain damage. Ali, a consultant gynaecologist, said he disliked the practice of removing a baby from a dead mother’s womb. “I don’t like it, it’s too gruesome,” Ali said. He re-iterated that only a histology, to be conducted by a pathologist, will confirm doctors’ opinion that Jones died from a possible lung infection. Ali said that due to high-blood pressure, Jones was carded to deliver her baby via Caesarian section at the hospital, but the blood bank did not have the blood to cross-match with Jones, the doctor said.

It was Jones’ second pregnancy. She lost her first baby by a miscarriage in June 2003. Jones lived with her common-law husband, Geoffrey Baptiste, and yesterday at the Belgrove Funeral Chapel, he kissed his wife and baby who lay together in one casket. The baby boy was placed below his mother’s arm.